IP route command is used to configure the static route.

Static routes are the most secure way

of routing. They will also increase overall network performance. These features are extremely
helpful in small network. In this tutorial we will explain IP route command and its parameters
in details with example.

IP route command and parameters explained

We have two commands to configure the static route.

Router(config)# ip route destination_network_# [subnet_mask]

IP_address_of_next_hop_neighbor [administrative_distance] [permanent]

Or

Router(config)# ip route destination_network_# [subnet_mask] interface_to_exit

[administrative_distance] [permanent]

ip route

This is the base command which adds new route in routing table.

destination_network_#[subnet_mask]

This is the first parameter. It specifies the destination network address. We need to provide
subnet mask if we are using sub-network. Sub-networks are the smaller networks created
from one large network in subnetting. If we are not using sub-network then we can omit the
subnet mask value. It will parse automatically.

IP_address_of_next_hop_neighbor / interface_to_exit

This parameter provides a way to reach the destination network. Both commands use separate
way to assign this value. First command provides the IP address of next hop neighbor. It tells
router that if it receives a packet for destination [that we set in previous parameter], forward
that packet to this next hop neighbor IP address.

Second command also do the same job but in different way. It specifies exit interface instead
of next hop IP address. It tells router that if it receives a packet for the destination specified by
previous parameter then exits that packet from this interface. Device attached on other end of
this interface will take care of the packet.

administrative_distance

Administrative distance is the trustworthiness of route. Route with the lowest AD value will be
chosen while forwarding the packet. By default static route has two AD values depending on
the previous parameter. If you have used next hop neighbor IP address, then the default AD
value will be 1. If you have used exit interface, then the default AD value will be 0. This
parameter allows us to create multiple static routes for the same destination.
For example we can create primary and backup path for the destination network. To create
backup path, we need to set AD value to higher than default, such as 2 or 3. With this
configuration router will use primary path. Due to some reason if primary route fails, the
router will start using backup route automatically.

permanent

When a route goes down router will remove that from routing table. Permanent parameter
will keep this route in routing table even if it goes down. Its optional parameter we can omit it.
If we omit it, router will remove this route from routing table if it goes down. You might use
this parameter for security reason if you never want packets to take another path.

Configure Default Route

By default when a packet arrives in interface, router checks destination filed in packet and
compare it with routing table. If it finds a match for destination network then it will forward
that packet from related interface. If it does not find a match in routing table then it will
discard that packet. This is the default behavior of router. Default route allows us to override
this behavior. Default route is a way to deal with all unmatched packets. If no match for
destination network found in routing table then it would be forwarded to the default route.

Following command will set default route

Router(config)# ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 IP_address_of_next_hop_neighbor

[administrative_distance] [permanent]

Or

Router(config)# ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 interface_to_exit

[administrative_distance] [permanent]

Above command sets destination network to 0.0.0.0/0 that represents all networks.

Now we are familiar with IP Route command and its parameter. In next section of this article
we illustrate a practical example of IP route command.

IP route command example

For demonstration purpose we will use Packet Tracer network simulator software. Beside
Packet Tracer you can use any other network simulator software such RouterSim, GNS, Boson
or even better if you could afford, use real Cisco devices for follow this practice.

Create a practice topology as shown in fowling figure. Alternatively you can download this
topology from our server.
Device Connected from Connected to IP Address
Router0s
PC0 FastEthernet0 10.0.0.2/8
FastEthernet0/0
Router0 FastEthernet0/0 PC0s FastEthernet0 10.0.0.1/8

Router0 Serial 0/0/0 Router1s serial0/0/0 192.168.0.253/30

Router0s
Router1 Serial 0/0/0/ 192.168.0.254/30
serial0/0/0/
Router1 FastEthernet0/0 PC1s FastEthernet0 20.0.0.1/8
Router1s
PC1 FastEthernet0 20.0.0.2/8
FastEthernet0/0

Assign IP address to devices

Assign IP address 10.0.0.2/8 to PC0.

Repeat same process for PC1 and assign IP address 20.0.0.2/8.

Assign IP address to interfaces of router
Double click Router0 and click CLI and press Enter key to access command prompt of router.

Two interfaces FastEthernet0/0 and Serial0/0/0 of Router0 are used in this topology.
By default interfaces on router are remain administratively down during the start up. We need
to configure IP address and other parameters on interfaces before we could actually use them
for routing. Interface mode is used to assign IP address and other parameters. Interface mode
can be accessed from global configuration mode. Following commands are used to access
global configuration mode.

Router>enable
Router# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#

From global configuration mode we can enter in interface mode. From there we can configure
the interface. Following commands will assign IP address on FastEthernet0/0.

Router(config)#interface fastEthernet 0/0

Router(config-if)# ip address 10.0.0.2 255.0.0.0
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)#

interface fastEthernet 0/0 command is used to enter in interface mode.

ip address 10.0.0.2 255.0.0.0 command will assign IP address to interface.

no shutdown command will bring the interface up.

exit command is used to return in global configuration mode.

Serial interface needs two additional parameters clock rate and bandwidth. Every serial cable
has two ends DTE and DCE. These parameters are always configured at DCE end.

We can use show controllers interface command from privilege mode to check the cables
end.

Router#show controllers serial 0/0/0

Interface Serial0/0/0
Hardware is PowerQUICC MPC860
DCE V.35, clock rate 2000000
[Output omitted]

Fourth line of output confirms that DCE end of serial cable is attached. If you see DTE here
instead of DCE skip these parameters.

Now we have necessary information lets assign IP address to serial interface.

Router# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#interface serial 0/0/0
Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.0.253 255.255.255.252
Router(config-if)# clock rate 64000
Router(config-if)# bandwidth 64
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)#

Router# configure terminal Command is used to enter in global configuration mode.

Router(config)# interface serial 0/0/0 Command is used to enter in interface mode.

Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.0.253 255.255.255.252 Command assigns IP

address to interface. For serial link we usually use IP address from /30 subnet.

Router(config-if)# clock rate 64000 And Router(config-if)# bandwidth 64 In real

life environment these parameters control the data flow between serial links and need to be
set at service providers end. In lab environment we need not to worry about these values. We
can use these values.

Router(config-if)# no shutdown Command brings interface up.

Router(config-if)# exit Command is used to return in global configuration mode.

We will use same commands to assign IP addresses on interfaces of Router1. Since we have
provided clock rate and bandwidth on serial interface of Router0 we need not to assign them
on serial interface of Router1. Following command will assign IP addresses on interface of
Router1.

Router>enable
Router# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#interface fastEthernet 0/0
Router(config-if)# ip address 20.0.0.1 255.0.0.0
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)#interface serial 0/0/0
Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.0.254 255.255.255.252
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
Router(config-if)# exit

Configure Static Route

Run following command from global configuration mode in routers.

Router0
Router(config)#ip route 20.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 192.168.0.254

Router1
Router(config)#ip route 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 192.168.0.253

Thats all we need to switch packet from one network to another. To verify the result we can
use ping command. Access the command prompt of PC1 and use ping command to test the
connectivity from PC0.
A successful reply indicates that static routing is configured properly. In next article we will
extend this example with more complex topology.

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